Method and apparatus for cleaning used lubricant oil and lubricating oil chambers



April 1962 M. E. FRASER 3 029,898

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING USED LUBRICANT OIL AND LUBRICATING OIL CHAMBERS Filed OCT,- 6, 1960 INVENTOR ATTORNEY N ea Y United States Patent @hfiee 3,029,898 Patented Apr. 17, 1962 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING USED LUBRICANT OlL AND LUBRICATING OIL CHAMBERS Morris E. Fraser, 311 8th Ave. W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada Filed Oct. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 60,971 12 Claims. (Cl. 184-1.5)

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning used lubricating oil and the chamber containing such used lubricating oil.

The invention is particularly useful in cleaning the oil and the lubricant chambers which form a part of the reduction gearing as employed in oil field pumping jacks and mud pumps used in rotary well drilling and as emplayed in heavy industrial transmission cases such as in road construction equipment. Gear chambers of this type contain lubricating oil in quantities varying from two to ninety gallons (U.S.A.). It has been conventional practice either to change the lubricating oil in suchgear chambers at regular intervals by draining the used oil from the chamber and replacing it with new oil, or to treat the oil and the chambers by the employment of heat and filters. The practice of changing the oil is inadequate because of the fact that considerable dirt in the form of sludge, metal particles, and various abrasive materials remain in the chamber on the wall surfaces thereof, as well as in the sumps, and is thus picked up by the new oil with the result that it is contaminated in a short period of time. The practice of passing the used oil through a heater and then through filters is much too costly if maximum cleaning is desired and, moveover, the use of a filter medium of a type which will not extract desired components from the oil usually results in ineifective sep aration of water from the oil.

Reduction gears and associated bearings as found in oil well pumping equipment and heavy industrial equipment are costly. It is important, therefore, that the oil used in the lubrication of this equipment he kept free of any contaminants which may be abrasive and/ or lower the efficiency of the lubricating qualities of the oil.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages set forth by providing a method and appara-' tus for purifying used gear lubrication oil and returning it to the gear chamber While simultaneously removing the sludge and dirt from the interior of the gear chamber. Another object is to provide a method and apparatus for performing these steps at a cost substantially lower than the cost of cleaning the gear chamber manually and re placing the used oil with new oil, and in a manner which results in the cleaning of the lubricating oil and the lubricant chamber to a degree not obtainable by conventional filtering procedures.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which illustrates in diagrammatic elevations one embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the invention.

In the drawing, 1 is a conventional gear reduction housing providing a chamber 2 having therein reducing gears 3. The chamber 2 is adapted to contain a supply of lubricating oil. The housing has the usual inspection opening 4 with removable cover plate 5, oil inlet 6, closure plug 7, and drainage outlet 8 which is also provided with a closure plug.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention includes means for Withdrawing the supply of oil in the chamber 2 and to this end a hose 9 is provided having one end arranged for coupling to the drainage outlet 8 and its other end connected to a pipe 10. Preferably, the hose is of substantial length to accommodate convenient positioning of the apparatus and may be mounted on a reel 11. The pipe 10 is connected to the suction-side of a pump 12 driven by a pulley 13 mounted on and driven by shaft 14. The shaft 14 is driven by any suitable source of power. For instance, it may be driven by the power unit of a motor vehicle on which the apparatus may be mounted. A magnetic filter 15 is positioned in the pipe line 1! to remove metal particles from the oil.

The discharge side of pump 12 is connected to a pipe 16 leading to the lower portion of a storage or circulation tank 17. A valve 18 is provided in pipe 16.

Oil from the storage tank 17 is fed to a heat exchanger 19 by means of pipes 20 and 34-, through valve 21 and gear pump 22. The heat exchanger is of conventional type and is arranged to heat the oil to a temperature of approximately F. Water is preferably employed as the heating medium and to this end the water is heated by circulation through a furnace 23 by means of pipe 24, pipe 25, and gear pump 26.

The hot oil is fed from the heat exchanger to a centrifugal purifier 27 by means of a pipe 25. The centrifugal purifier is of conventional industrial type and has a centrifuge bowl (not shown) driven by'a motor 29. The bowl is adapted to be driven at a speed of approx-irnately 5000 r.p.m. which creates a force in excess of by washing the oil with water containing a neutralizer.

To this end, a water storage tank 35 is provided,,such tank being connected to pipe 34 by means of a pipe 31 having a valve 32 and pump 33 therein.

The washing water is removed from the oil by the centrifugal purifier 27 and the removed water is passed back to the storage tank 30 through pipe 34A or discharged through pipe 348 passing through opened valve The purified oil from the purifier 27 is returned to the circulation tank 17 by means of pump 35, pipe 36, valve 1 37, and pipe 38. A pressure relief valve 39 may be provided in a by-pass 44 between pipes 36 and 38.

A washing hose 41 is provided on a reel 42. and is connected to the circulation tank 17 by pipe 43, pump 44 driven from the power pulley 13, and pipe 45 having a valve 46 therein. Hose 41 is provided with a spray nozzle 47.

Purifier 27 is connected to a discharge filling hose 48 on reel 49 and having a discharge nozzle 59 and shut oif valve 50A, such connection comprising pipes 51 and 36 and valves 37 and 56. Valve. 37 is a conventional three-way valve. v

The oil may, if required, be passed through a conventional oil filter 52 which is connected in pipe line 36 by pipes 53 and 54. A valve 55 in pipe 53 and a valve 56 in pipe 36 provides the necessary control. Valve 54A in line 54- is a fiowcheck valve preventing the backing up of oil into filter 52.

The oil may also, if desired, be fed directly from the gear chamber 2 to the heat exchanger 19 bymeans-of a pipe 57 connected to pipe 16 and having valves 58 and 59 therein. I

It will be apparent that the various pumps mentioned may be driven from any suitable source of power such as that of the power unit on a motor vehicle on which the equipment is mounted.

The system described provides a number of circulation procedures for cleaning the oil.

the chamber 2 through suction hose 9 connected to the drainage outlet of the chamber 2, and delivered to the storage tank 17 by means of pump 12 through hose 9, pipe 16, magnetic filter 15, and pipe 16, valve 59 being closed and valve 18 being open. The oil in the circulation tank 17 is now circulated through heat exchanger 19 and centrifuge 27 in a circuit comprising pipe 2%, pump 22, pipe 34 (valves 58 and 59 being closed and valve 21 being open), heat exchanger 19, pipe 28, centrifuge 27, pump 35, pipe 35 (valve 55 being closed), valves 56 and 37, and pipe 38. A portion of the purified oil in the tank 17 is now supplied to the hose 41 through pipe 45, pump 44 (containing a pressure controlled by-pass valve) and pipe 43 to provide a jet of oil under pressure issuing through hand controlled quick action valve 47A, and spray nozzle 47. This nozzle is manually inserted into chamber 2 through one or more of the openings 4 and 8 and is manipulated to impinge the jet of oil on all the interior surfaces of the chamber and the gears therein. This effectively cleans such surfaces since hot oil is a good cleansing medium. Moreover, such cleansing action introduces no foreign fluid or the like to the gear chamber. During this cleaning procedure the oil sprayed into the chamber is returned to the tank 17 and through the heat exchanger and centrifuge in the circuit previously described. Moreover, since the inlet to pipe 45 is in elevated position with respect to the bottom of tank 17, a sufiicient amount of oil remains in tank 17 to permit, during the spray cleaning procedure, continuous circulation of oil from tank 17 through the heat exchanger and centrifugal purifier and back to the tank in the manner previously described. 'When the spray cleaning procedure is complete, valve 46 is closed, pump 44 stopped, and the oil in chamber 2 completely drained to storage tank 17. Valve 18 is now closed and pump 12 stopped. Valve 37 is actuated to disconnect pipes 36 and 38 and to connect pipes 36 and 51. Thus, the oil now flows from storage tank 17, finally through heat exchanger 19 and centrifugal purifier 27 to pipe 36, pipe 51, hose 48, valve 50A and, with nozzle 59 applied to the filling opening 6 (outlet 8 being closed) the entire batch of purified oil is returned to the cleaned chamber 2.

A second circulation procedure is to follow the procedure previously described and to circulate the oil through the filter 52 by closing valve 56 and opening valve 55, at the time of finally discharging the oil from the system.

A third circulation procedure resides in circulating the oil directly from the chamber 2 through heat exchanger 19 and centrifugal purifier 27 to storage tank 17. To this end, valves 13, 21 and 55 are closed, valves 58 and 59 opened, and valve 37 adjusted to connect lines 36 and 38. Following this purifying step, the step of cleaning the surfaces of chamber 2 and then returning the cleaned oil to chamber 2 are followed out as in the first circulation procedure.

A fourth circulation procedure resides in the inclusion of the water washing step. As will be apparent from the previous description, this is effected by opening valve 32 and adding a supply of water from tank 30 by means of pump 33 to the oil before it enters the heat exchanger. The wash water is removed from the oil by the centrifuge 27 and returned to the water storage tank 30 through pipe 34A, or discharged from the system through opened valve 34C and pipe 343.

It will be apparent that the equipment described may be arranged in a compact manner on a motor truck for convenient transport to any desired location.

I claim:

1. That method of cleaning the interior surfaces of a lubricant chamber and a body of lubricant normally contained therein, comprising transferring said body of lubricant from said chamber to a tank, circulating lubricant from said tank, independently of said chamber, through a heat exchanger and a centrifuge, in sequence,

and back to said tank, spraying a portion of the centrifuged lubricant directly from said tank into said chamber to clean the same, withdrawing said cleaning lubricant from said chamber to said tank, recirculating the lubricant in said tank through said heat exchanger and centrifuge, and returning the entire body of centrifuged lubricant directly to said chamber.

2. That method of cleaning the interior surfaces of a lubricant chamber and a body of lubricant normally contained therein, comprising withdrawing the entire body of lubricant from the chamber to storage in a tank, initially cleaning said body of lubricant by circulating the same from said tank to a heater and a centrifuge, in sequence, and back to said tank, Withdrawing a portion of the hot, cleaned body of lubricant directly from said tank and spraying the interior of said chamber therewith to clean the same, while continuously circulating lubricant from said tank to said heater, centrifuge and back to said tank, withdrawing said portion of oil from said chamber directly to said tank, recirculating the entire body of lubricant from said tank to said heater, centrifuge, and back to said tank, and returning the body of lubricant directly from said centrifuge to said chamber.

3. That method of cleaning the interior surfaces of a lubricant chamber and a body of lubricant normally contained therein, comprising withdrawing the entire body of lubricant from the chamber to storage in a tank, ini tially cleaning said body of lubricant by circulating the same from said tank through a heater and a centrifuge, in sequence, and back to said tank, withdrawing a portion of the hot, cleaned body of lubricant directly from said tank and spraying the interior of said chamber therewith to clean the same, while continuously circulating lubricant from said tank to said heater, centrifuge and back to said tank, withdrawing said portion of lubricant from said chamber directly to said tank, recirculating the entire body of lubricant from said tank to said heater, centrifuge, and back to said tank, until the entire body of lubricant is cleaned, connecting said centrifuge directly with said chamber while simultaneously cutting off communication between said centrifuge and tank, and returning the entire body of lubricant from said centrifuge directly to said tank.

4. That method of cleaning the interior surfaces of a lubricant chamber and a body of fluid lubricant normally contained therein, comprising, withdrawing said body of lubricant from said chamber, through a heater and a centrifuge, in sequence, to a tank, withdrawing a portion of the cleaned, hot lubricant from said tank and spraying the same under pressure, over the interior surfaces of said chamber to clean the same, returning said portion of lubricant from said chamber to said tank, recirculating the entire body of lubricant, independently of said chamber, through said heater and centrifuge, in series, and back to said tank until the entire body of lubricant is clean, and returning the entire body of lubricant to said chamber directly from said centrifuge.

5. That method of cleaning the interior of a lubricant chamber and a body of fluid lubricant normally contained therein, comprising, withdrawing said body of lubricant from said chamber directly to a tank, continuously circulating the lubricant independently of said chamber, from said tank, through a heater and a centrifuge, in sequence, and back to the tank, until the lubricant is clean, spraying clean flushing lubricant under pressure directly from said tank into the interior of said chamber to clean the surfaces thereof, withdrawing said flushing lubricant from said chamber, and returning the clean lubricant in said tank to said chamber by connecting the same directly with said centrifuge, while simultaneously cutting off communication between said centrifuge and said tank.

6. Apparatus for cleaning the interior surfaces of a lubricant chamber and a body of lubricant normally contained therein, comprising, a storage tank, a closed circulating conduit having its ends connected with said tank,

a first pump, a heat exchanger and a centrifuge connected in sequence in said conduit in the direction of flow therethrough, in the order mentioned, a flow line adapted for connection at one end with said chamber and having its delivery end in communication with said tank, independently or said conduit, and a second power-driven pump in said flow line.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, a by-pass connected at one end with said flow line between said second pump and said tank and at its other end with said conduit prior to said heat exchanger, a first valve in said flow line between said by-pass and tank, and a second valve in said by-pass. I

8. An apparatus for cleaning the interior surfaces of a lubricant chamber and a body of lubricant normally confined therein, comprising, a storage tank, a closed circulating conduit having its ends connected with said tank and including first pump, a heater, a centrifugal purifier and a three-way valve, in sequence in the direction of circulation of lubricant through said conduit, a fiow line having one end connected directly with said tank and its other end adapted for connection with the chamber to be cleaned, a second pump in said flow line, a bypass connecting said fiow line between said second pump and tank, with said conduit, in advance of said heater, a first valve in said flow line between said by-pass and tank, a second valve in said by-pass, and a lubricant return line having one end connected with said three-way valve and its other end adapted for insertion into said chamber.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8, a pipe having one end connected with said tank and the other end adapted for connection with lubricant spraying means, and a third valve and pump in said pipe.

10. Apparatus as in claim 9, the intake end of said conduit being connected with the bottom of said tank, and the intake end of said pipe being connectedwith said tank above the level of said conduit intake.

11. Apparatus as in claim 8, heat to said heat exchanger being supplied by steam, a steam generator, and circuit connections between said steam generator and said heater.

12. Apparatus as in claim 8, a water storage tank, a water supply connection between said tank and said conduit at a point between said first pump and heater, and a water return connection between said tank and centrifugal purifier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,337,408 Morris Apr. 20, 1920 2,305,464 Ashworth Dec. 15, 1942 2,399,140 Peters et al. Apr. 23, 1946 2,459,409 Bjornstjerna Jan. 18, 1949 2,685,347 Busby Aug. 3, 1954 2,820,528 Harper Jan. 21, 1958 

